T- Wow, I am liking this one. The roasted flavors blend with the high hoppiness in a great great way. I don't know how this is an IPA but it sure is delicious. Maybe a cross between a porter and an IPA but it works very well

M- Good, moderate carbonation bristling with just right body to balance out everything, maybe a bit more carbonation could have sent it over the top for me

D- Great, maybe not the most drinkable because of the hoppiness but I could easily put away a 6 pack of this if I had it (728 characters)

Dark brown color and lightly cloudy. Good starting head that settles to a single layer of bubbles. Very good rim lace after each sip.

Dark but dry malts to the nose. Lesser hop smell. Light yeast aroma.

Quite dry, almost astringent. Slightly thin bodied, the carbonation does match this well. Good darker crystal malt flavors--slightly nutty. The hop balances the malt well, but is not distinct. Overall, a very drinkable, if non-distinct, black beer. (453 characters)

Taste has more malts than the nose, but still sufficient hops. Burnt coffee (in a good way) and chocolate maltiness with piney hops. A nice hint of citrus blends well with a dark bitter chocolate ending.

Thin mouthfeel, high carbonation, crisp and slightly dry.

Second time was a charm with this one for me. I like the complexities, even though I'm not a big fan of the American Black Ale. The hint of citrus and bitter chocolate finish really boost the taste rating for me. (711 characters)

My overall impression of the beer was very good from a taste standpoint, but there were some major flaws with the brew. By the name "Demo" its pretty clear that this beer isn't 100% there yet, but it was also behind where I thought it would be.

First off, it pours a black semi-opaque color with a nice roasty head and good lacing. However there are chunks of green sediment floating in this beer. I am OK with hazyness or a little yeast on the bottom, but I could see chunks of hops and break floating in suspension. This came off as very unprofessional for a brewery of this size.

My second problem with this brew is that I don't buy that it is an IPA or even a black IPA. It's really just a hoppy porter. The hops don't dominate like they should in an IPA. I get more roasted malt on the palate than hops.

Other than that it has very nice characteristics: a nice roasty smell and taste, fresh American hops, a well balanced malt and hop profile. Very unrefined, but not far off from a solid brew. Highly drinkable without any astringent aftertastes or off flavors. (1,128 characters)

The beer pours a dark brown color with a thick frothy tan head that slowly fades to lacing. The aroma is average. It has a dry, roasted/black malt scent along with a mild hop nose. It's pretty tame compared to most black IPAs. The earthy, roasted character is too intense and dwarfs the hops. The taste is average as well. It has a muddled flavor that boasts of earthy black malts and citrus hops. It's bone dry with too much roasted character. The hops sneak through in the finish, but are hidden through most of the drinking experience. The mouthfeel is decent. It is a medium/full bodied beer with adequate carbonation. This is a pretty undrinkable beer. I have enjoyed most of their IPA series, but this one needs a serious tune-up. (736 characters)

Okay, looks like I'm going to be waaaay above the power-curve on this rating. 3 bottles from the Spring 2011 12-pack, 3 nights. The first two were stunning but I ruined the effect of the 3rd bottle by having a strong Mountaineer Vandalia dark hoppy ale before it. But overall this stuff was great, in my experience. In fact, I was totally psyched.

D= I'd go session on this if I could find it sold separately. Having to buy a 12-pack mix just to get 6 decent beers (3 ea Demo & Vinyl), 3 okay (Circus Boy) and 3 crappo (#9) that I hate is ridiculous. Maybe Magic Hat will wake up on this idiotic strategy as well. (963 characters)

S: great aromas, with heavy malt; pleasantly surprised to identify notes of citrus and chocolate, with a touch of hops; kinda smells like a chocolate-covered oranges with a touch of bitterness

T: not sure what I expected, but I was unprepared for this flavor; roasted malt flavors are strong, with a slight bite from the hops; also a creamy yeast taste present; good, but not what I was looking for

M: creamy, as noted by the yeast in the taste section; not quite thick enough to be a stout or porter, but not light/biting enough to qualify for IPA; interesting

D: Pretty easy to finish; kinda got bored by the end of the glass, which surprised me considering all the unexpected characteristics of this beer; my tongue was caught between wanting more and being tired of the flavors (1,025 characters)

Body is dark cocoa brown with a cloudy amber appearance once held toward the light, big light tan head dwindles slowly with fine evenly strung rings of lacing. aroma has dark mint hints of nearly burnt ash with mild to dark notes of cocoa. Very herbal highlights amongst the backdrop of dark roasted malt character this is pretty amazing for what it is. Flavor has mild dark chocolate brownie notes drizzled with mint icing light on candy heavy on herbs and endurance...pretty amazing actually, one of the beers that you try not to remember but actually grows on you with each sip. Mouthfeel is medium bodied dark silky smooth body with evenly done carbonation I can't complain about the texture or body in this one. Drinkability in this one isn't bad at all, I don't judge it but I'm scared about what it thinks about me. (822 characters)

Appears a dark brown with a ruby hue when held to the light. Streams of co2 quickly rise to the top. A pillowy beige head slowly fades out.Smells pretty good. Cocoa, toasted nuts, herbs, pine needles, and a blast of ripe peach.Taste is of the aromas with sweetness up front that quickly becomes a tad muddled with roasted chestnuts and herbal bitterness.Mouthfeel is medium bodied, bitter, astringent, and mineral laden. (423 characters)

T: Malty, roasted flavor. Hops are very subdued, a twinge on the back-end, but too little too late.

M: Rather thin, balance seemed off.

D: Drinkable, but would not receive an 'encore'.

I've enjoyed the other Magic Hat 'IPA on tour' offerings, but this one truly misses the mark. As others have stated, it presents more like a porter, which is fine & well, as long as you really aren't expecting/wanting that hoppy IPA experience. (526 characters)

A - Pours a dark brown black color with a finger of frothy tan-brown head. The head has pretty good retention and laces nicely.

S - Aroma is full of sweet lightly roasted carmel malts. There is also some sweet chocolate and some coffee elements that break through.

T - Starts off with some chocolate flavor and some roasted sweet carmel malts. A little bit of coffee flavor in the background. Just a touch of hops come through in the middle with more chocolate flavor and roasted flavor. The finish is fairly sweet with a some brown sugar flavor and toffee malt. Finish feels a little bit off.

M - Medium-light to medium bodied with moderate assertive carbonation. Feels even a bit creamy at times with a slightly syrupy finish left behind.

D - Fairly drinkable. Resembles more of a porter than an American Black Ale with the rather low hop presence. The flavors are pretty nice up finish with feels a bit off. (914 characters)

Poured this into a pint glass. Not sure what to make of it, sold as an IPA but resembles a porter in appearance. Very dark brown, even black with a reddish hint. Great creamy heady. Smell chocolate, burned sugar, molasses, coffee and some citrusy hops. Taste of coffee dryness up front coats the mouth preparing for some chocolaty sweetness then the coffee blends with hop citrus in the finish. Not sure what to make of it, a bit on the light side but a good session brew. (472 characters)

Had this at a tasting tonight in a small glass. I was intrigued by the color obviously for an IPA but as I tasted it I realized it was the newer "dark ale" or whatever it's formally being called. I've had a few of these now and this was the worst.

Appearance was nothing to speak about. There was a head and it left some lacing but it looked how I would expect a beer with that much carbonation to look. Nothing frothy and generous but just some traditional bubbles that faded moderately

The smell was very diluted. I wet the tip of my nose just trying to get a strong enough smell to discern anything regarding the aroma. There was not much there. Some burnt malt with a little fizz and some deeply buried hops.

The taste was not a whole lot more exciting than the nose. A little burnt malt with some coffee hinting with the hops so far in the back, it "pales" in comparison to finer ales.

Mouthfeel was like soda pop. Not much body and nothing left on the palate to speak of.

Drinkability - yes, you can drink it. But I doubt you'll be rushing out of your seat for seconds.

2's across the board. Not impressed. But I've never been extremely impressed with Magic Hat in general. Not to mention this style has a long way to go before it's close to being perfected. There is potential here, but this has a ways to go in my opinion. (1,336 characters)

Part of the new 12 pack.Enjoy by Apr 30 2011.Oh boy. Another black IPA. In a pint glass the beer was a dark brown color with a thin tan head. There was a bunch of light brown particulate matter suspended in the beer.Roasted malt aroma with some floral/herbal hops.Chocolate and coffee taste, late piney hops. Pretty bitter (and not in a nice way) mouthfeel.This was unappetizing and didn't taste that great. I've had two, and I'm going to try to palm off the last one on my son-in-law. (491 characters)

So another I.P.A from Magic Hat. I was eager to try this somewhat new style, a black I.P.A. Demo poured beautifully. Deep black color with a really nice tannish head. Belgian lace draped down the inside of the glass. Not much in aroma a little smokiness and a slight hint of hops. Where's the hops? The mouthfeel is a bit thin for this style.

Overall a decent beer certainly not what I was expecting. (404 characters)

A - Another 'IPA On Tour' series brew, I've had quite a few. I am shocked when a nearly black brew comes out capped with a mocha head; I didn't know it was a Black IPA. The beer is a bit ruddy looking for the CDA/ABA style. It seems to present a look like I would expect from a Porter.

S - The nose tells me this is not like most of the other CDAs I've had in that it has taken on a lot of roasted characteristics from the dark malt, not just color as is often the case.

T - The taste reinforces elements found in the aroma such as prominent roastiness and coffee-chicory notes. There is also a grassy, green hoppiness, reminiscent of fresh-cut grass or aloe sap. I am a huge fan of the malt, not so much of the hop.

M - Medium-bodied and sharply carbonated. It could've been a bit softer in the effervescence dept. Otherwise, it is good.

D - Another solid offering from the 'On Tour' series, which is just about the only thing MH puts out that is worth drinking these days. (978 characters)

D - Not something I would pick up again. I really liked the Encore better and hoped this was kind of like this, if anything a black IPA but with roasted malts to the extreme it doesn't seem to even be IPA or Black IPA. Still pretty good and better than BMC. (760 characters)

Pours a murky, dark brown color with a good sized foamy, light brown head. Head dissipates to a thin, tan cap that sticks around and leaves good foamy lacing.

The nose isn't all that strong and consists mainly of a roasted malt aroma. At times it seems like I can pick up some hints of chocolate or coffee but when I look for them again they're gone. No real hop presence.

The taste is more of the same. Roasted malt is prominent and sometimes seems like its the only flavor. Some, and by some I mean very little, hop flavor towards the finish, maybe some slight pine notes. Finishes with a burnt flavor I can't quite put my finger on.

Medium carbonation with a body that is on the higher side of medium gives it a full mouthfeel. Definitely a heavier beer for the style, although not too heavy relative to other beers.

Drinkability is ok. It's not a terrible beer, but it isn't that good for a beer of its style. Definitely somewhere between a brown ale or a stout with a little bit of hops. (1,062 characters)

Chestnut colored and opaque with ruby highlights. An oatmeal colored head of low froth rises up minimally and settles slowly leaving legs of lace.

Low aroma of cocoa and caramel, hints of tangerine. Hops morph to pine in the finish. Hints of marshmallow, finishes with a nutty, buttery ringwood nuance. Fairly well-balanced, but leaning more toward malt than hops. Not overly complex. Even mouthfeel, moderate carbonation, finishes slightly tingly. This is a slightly above average beer, fairly tasty, but also pretty forgettable. (531 characters)

Pours a dark brown color with a bunch of small particles floating about. The head is a toasted khaki color, fairly dense and rocky. Some lacing left on the glass.

The aroma is not very strong, especially for an IPA of sorts. There are light hints of a roasted malt and a barely there hint of hops. There is a bit of a twang in the aroma.

There is a decent hop flavor. Some lime citrus and a leafy fresh hop. There is some cola and roasted nut flavor from the malt, kinda has a home brew flavor to it. Some sour tea like flavors round out the brew.

The feel is light and very carbonated. Sits fairly balanced on the palate, sort of twangy and bitter.

There is some decent flavors and the beer drinks fine. Is it a great "Black Ale", no, not close but its not bad. (766 characters)